


Rain in the Desert: Night

by wingsofpetals613



Category: Original Work
Genre: M/M, Original Character(s), Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-19
Updated: 2018-08-19
Packaged: 2019-06-29 12:29:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15729426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingsofpetals613/pseuds/wingsofpetals613
Summary: Wren has never stopped moving, his magic keeping him on his feet for his whole life. Hyunjoon has never known anything except for his tiny hometown of Corntown, Arizona.After a flood, they met.After the rain, they knew each other's worlds.After a storm, they became each other's worlds.





	Rain in the Desert: Night

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!!! This is a little drabble for an original story of mine and my friend's, Rain in the Desert! I hope to write and post the complete for someday, but for now have a little glimpse into the story of Wren and Joon
> 
> Just to make clear, Wren is a rain wizard and Joon is a normal kid who (at this point) hasn't figured out that Wren has magic.
> 
> Let me know what you think, I'm excited to write more here! <3
> 
> -Prince

It was his back that I remember most. His gray shirt, cardigan tied at his waist. The base of his neck, the curls of his brown hair. His hand in mine, mine in his, outstretched as he led me with confident strides and a quiet whistle. His dark tan skin was warm and smooth. The smell of him and the few blooming flowers of early Summer mingled with the haze of chlorine. 

He led me through the sunset, the distant glow of the sun sinking over the horizon. In the back of my mind, I recalled the term “The Golden Hour,” probably from my father’s photography magazines— No, that didn’t matter now. Not my parents, not that over-cramped house, not the bruise on my arm. It all seemed to fade with the sun. The stars, the moon, and the boy in front of me glowed brighter as the sky grew dark. 

We jumped the picket fence of the mansion’s backyard, dust and sand turning to lush grass that was so vibrant I was sure it had to be fake. The boy kicked off his shoes and quickened his pace, hand leaving mine. He tore off his shirt and cardigan and jumped into the pool with a yell of excitement. I backed off from the splash and tried to shush him, the dark windows of the house looming down at me and the lawn. The sky had started to fade from brilliant orange to purple, the stucco face of the mansion reflecting the light in warm, tangible tones.

“Hey, desert kid, you getting in?” The boy appeared at the edge of the pool, arms resting on the now water-stained ledge. His normally curly hair was weighed down against his head and he swept his fingers back through it. I felt my heartbeat quicken in my chest. 

“Wren, we’re not supposed to be here.” I clutched at my arms, half from anxiety, half from the quickly cooling desert air.

“And why not? It’s not like there’s anyone home.” He glanced at the dark house and back, his eyes dragging me closer and closer to the water's edge.

“Yeah, but what if we get caught?”

“We won’t! The police in this town suck and every old person in this neighborhood was asleep an hour ago.”

“Yeah, but-”

“Joon,” His voice cut me short and I forgot what I wanted to say at all. I shuddered at my name on his lips. “You trust me, don’t you?”

I didn’t know how to respond. I managed to tilt my head forward in an uncertain nod. 

He chuckled. “Then I promise you that nothing will happen to us. Not now or ever.We’ll be okay, Hyunjoon.”

That was enough.

The cold anxiety in my chest was smothered by a warmth like stars and fireflies. A smile pushed past my lips and the tension in my arms relaxed as I started to tug my shirt off.

“You better be right about this.”

“Or what? You’ll drown me? Is it my turn now?”

“Oh shut up,” I laughed. I kicked off my shoes, setting them next to one of the flower beds that ringed the pool area. I walked over to the edge of the water, dipping my feet carefully below the surface and sitting on the cool tile. 

“It’s warmer than I thought.” I muttered, half to myself. 

Wren snickered, now treading a few feet away from me. A devilish glint shone in his eyes and he disappeared into a Wren-shaped blob underwater. In a flash, in a splash, his hand wrapped around my ankle and I was pulled flailing into the water. My world went blurry, the stars that had started to shine glimmering high above the water. I held my breath a moment more and lingered in the silence before shooting to the surface. I sputtered and pushed back my wet bangs sloppily, trying to reorient myself.

The first thing that hit my senses was laughter off to my right. The water cleared from my eyes and Wren was there, half submerged and clutching his stomach as he giggled.

“That wasn’t funny!” Even as I said it, I felt a smile spread on my lips. My toes touched the bottom of the pool and I floated my arms on the surface. “I almost drowned once this week, I don’t want another near death experience because of you.”

“It wasn’t my fault your dumb ass got stuck in your seat belt during the only flood Corntown has seen in the past century.”

“Rude!” I splashed water towards him and he flinched away with a shout of protest. 

“Oh, you’re going to pay for that!” He splashed back with twice the power.

The battle began and the yard was soon filled with shouts and laughter and splashing water as the shadows engulfed the town.

I was panting by the time we called an unofficial draw, the both of us thoroughly soaked. Wren panted and shook his head, spraying me with a final bombardment of water droplets. It was only when I couldn’t see his freckles that I realized how dark it had gotten and how little light the street lamps shed on the backyard. 

I looked around, squinting through the dark for any kind of light switch. Wren followed my gaze and looked back at me confused.

“Did you lose something?” He asked.

“No, I can’t see anything. I don’t think this place has any outside switches though.” I started wading towards the edge of the pool.

“Oh, I didn’t realize it had gotten so dark.”

“Are you a cat or something? I can barely see my hand in front of my face.” I scanned the side of the house but I could barely see anything more than the glint of windows and the vague outline of a chair through the glass doors. 

“It doesn’t look like there are any,” I sighed. “I could go grab a flashlight or something out of the truck if you really want to stay here.”

Wren contemplated for a moment, his nose pinching slightly. I held back a smile; the little tick of his was cute, his face scrunching up when he was thinking. 

“Ah, I got it!” He splashed the water excitedly at the idea.

“What? You’re not secretly an electrician or something are you?”

“Better.” He gestured at me across the pool, his arm no more than a silhouette. “Come here.”

“What are you planning, Wren?” I started making my way towards him, a spark of excitement and uncertainty flaring in my stomach.

“Just trust me.”

I sighed and we stood face to face; from this close, I was able to see him a bit better; his curved nose, his impish ears, his spattering of freckles, his bright eyes that always seemed to be filled with starlight even in the darkness of twilight. 

“Turn around and close your eyes.” Wren said.

“Why?”

“You said you trust me, don’t you? I’m gonna do something cool so go with it, alright?”

“But-”

“Please,” He leaned in closer and I could feel his warm breath on my face. “For me?”

I felt my face flush and I tried not to gawk at him. 

“F-fine,” I stuttered. I turned around and prayed that his night vision wasn’t that good.

Hands covered my eyes and I was blind. At my back, I could feel his presence and the short waves that splashed off of him as he moved.

“Are your eyes closed?” His voice was an inch from my ear.

“You’re covering them.”

“No, you have to close them too!”

“Alright, but you better not pull anything weird.”

He laughed. “I won’t, I won’t. You worry too much.”

I closed my eyes and all that existed was me and the pool, the water lapping at my arms and chest as I stood still. Suddenly, the water became more excited and I could hear hands moving through the liquid. The pool became more insistent, somehow getting closer to me like it wanted to pull me under. I shuddered as drops of water sprayed me, cooler than the rest of the pool but somehow twice as hot. Light glowed behind my eyelids.

Just as I was about to open my eyes, I felt a pair of hands cover them again. 

“You can open you eyes now.” Wren whispered. I could hear the excitement in his voice.

I blinked into dark palms and fading shadows. Wren’s fingers moved from my face and I gasped.

The water was the color of sunset and dawn and a rainbow all at once, glimmering like polished opal and illuminating the pool. Shining waves swirled around through the colors, turning the pool into a giant moving geode. Glowing particles floated up and into the night sky to join the stars. The pungent scent of chlorine had been replaced by the smell of flower fields and galaxies and bubbles popped and swirled around me in warm currents of glittering water.

“What do you think?” Wren asked from behind me.

I spun around, my movements creating nebulas. My cheeks hurt from grinning. “Wren, this is amazing!”

He smiled back, eye glinting like the water. “It is pretty cool, huh?”

“How did you do it though?” I cupped my hands under the surface, trying to see what was in the water that made it like this. “Are they bath bombs or something? Or dye? Oh god, I’m not gonna get out of here half purple am I?”

“No, no, nothing like that,” He laughed. “It’s something I made myself.”

“But what is it?”

“Why does it matter?” Wren pushed himself off the floor of the pool and floated over top of the colors and crystals. His body became silhouetted, illuminated from below by the now-shining pool lights. The yellow and blue cast weird shadows over his face. “If it’s something nice or something pretty, why does it need explaining? Why can’t it just be?”

“I…” I knew there was still something he wasn’t telling me, but for now, I let it slide. Wren was full of things I didn’t know, but I knew that right now wasn’t the right time to ask if I actually wanted to get anywhere with him. 

“I guess you’re right.”

“Mhm. Besides, a good magician never reveals his secrets.” 

I snorted and rolled my eyes. I let my feet leave the floor and floated with him, resting effortlessly on the surface as colors fizzed on my back.

We laid there for a while, the sound of the water bubbling around us and the faint din of crickets the only way to make sure I was still on Earth. I breathed lightly, deep breaths that no longer tasted of dust or gasoline fumes. The air felt clear, cool, easier to breathe than the stifling desert heat. The water was cool, like autumn wind I hadn’t felt in years. I missed it. I missed this stillness, this peace, this color. I missed this serenity.

“Joon.”

His voice slid through the stillness, not disrupting the moment but adding to it. 

I liked it when he said my name.

“Yeah?”

“What are you thinking about?”

I paused a moment. “I don’t know. Just nothing, I guess.”

“Do you do that often? Think about nothing, I mean?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I laughed.

“No, no, not like that. I’m not calling you an idiot, idiot.” Wren snickered. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him transfixed on the sky above him. It was moments like this where he looked a lot older than he was, like an old man contemplating his long life. “I mean, do you ever have a clear head where you don’t have to think about anything?”

“I… I guess not. Not usually, no.” I stared up at the night, particles of light floating up around me. “I’m always thinking about something usually, whether it’s my work or my parents or just life in general. But now… I can’t remember what any of that really feels like. I just feel here.”

“I’m happy.” I could hear Wren’s smile and I glanced at him again. There was something close to sadness in his smile, a nostalgia of sorts I wasn’t able to understand. “I… I wish I could be more here with you. It seems like I’m always thinking a lot lately. I want it to stop sometimes, to just have a moment to breathe clear and not have to worry.”

“Why can’t you?” I asked. I felt my feet start to dip further into the water.

“I don’t know,” he laughed bitterly. “I wish I could but I can’t. Everything’s too loud or too much. Even now, I’m here but I’m not fully here, y’know?”

“I do.” I replied instantly. Wren’s expression worried me; I’d never seen him like this before. “But it’s okay. If…” Despite being surrounded by water, my mouth felt dry. “If it makes you feel any better, when I’m with you, everything seems to quiet down a lot more. Yeah, all that is still there, but so are you. I… I like being with you.”

Wren’s eyes widened and I heard a quiver in his voice as he replied. “I-I like being with you, too.”

I was upright in the pool now, looking over at him across the water. A billion galaxies still swirled and danced beneath the surface. Under the colorful light, I thought I saw his face get slightly darker.

“Are you blushing?” I couldn’t hide the slight smile from my voice.

“N-no way!” He lost his balance and his face splashed under the surface. He flailed his arms and sputtered to a better position, coughing like he’d gotten water up his nose.

I laughed. I laughed and it echoed across the empty mansion and the glowing water and the warmth of it poured over me like a summer rain. It took me a minute to realize that Wren was laughing with me.

His face dripped water with an indignant half-smile. It was clear he was trying to be angry but couldn’t.

“What? Is it your turn to drown now?” I teased.

“It was your fault,” He said. He drifted closer, water dripping from his hair and nose and shimmering in the water like starbursts. 

“I’ll take it this time, it was my fault.” I chuckled. 

Wren did too, but there was something else in his eyes, something that shone with the same transfixing brilliance as the pool. He got closer, closer, closer until I could feel the current from his movements against my submerged skin. Inches, worlds, galaxies, heartbeats apart. And we were here. Him and I and no one else. No pool, no mansion, no parents, no desert. 

Him and I. 

Him and I.

Heartbeats alike, lips so close, too close, almost close.

I felt his breath on my lips.

I shut my eyes, his stars gone but forever present beneath my lids.

“Hey, you two in the pool! What are you doing in there!?”

A gruff shout broke through the dark and I jolted. From between the fence, bright car lights glared into the yard and a dog barked loudly from the side of an unfortunately familiar figure.

“Y’all are trespassing, get out of there at once!” Officer Miller yelled at us through a gravely megaphone speaker. “You’re under arrest!”

“Shit!” Wren and I swore in unison, scrambling for the side of the pool as Rocky’s barking got nearer to the fence. We got out and grabbed our clothes and shoes, pulling on our shirts hastily and tossing our shoes over the fence at the other end of the yard. We climbed fast and I heard the quick scratching of paws racing over the tiles of the pool. Our feet landed and Rocky clawed at the fence, jaws snapping between the white planks. 

We kept running. 

We rounded the mansion and I saw my truck parked just where I left it, shining in the dim light of the street lamps and cop car headlights. We got in with a slam of the doors and I slammed the gas pedal without thinking. The car roared to life, back tires skidding backwards on the asphalt and headlights illuminating the disgruntled face of Officer Miller running towards us. He waved his hands, his face noticeably red. He kept shouting but I didn’t bother processing anything he said.

“Get us out of here!” Wren yelled, voice frantic.

I backed the car away from the officer as fast as I could and both Wren and I bumped with the car when I ran over the curb.

“Other way, other way!”

“I don’t want to run him over!” I shouted back.

“You won’t, let’s go!”

I stopped and changed gear and we were going forwards at full, definitely-not-neighborhood-friendly-speed. Wren and I screamed as we sped past Officer Miller and he dived to avoid the car. I kept driving, my foot never leaving the pedal. Through my rearview mirror, I saw the officer begin to chase after us and trip over Rocky, face-planting into the asphalt and shaking a fist at us as we ran. 

I howled with laughter and Wren climbed onto his seat. He stood up through the rooftop window and shouted back insults and I yelled with him. We left the suburbs and ran into open desert, the night and the horizon spread out before us and the shimmer of the small town I had known for all my life fading behind me like a distant mirage. Wind whipped our drying hair through open windows and the hum of the engine resounded through the empty desert.

And we laughed, Wren and I. Triumphant in our night, the light of the pool still shining in our eyes. 

We laughed. 

We lived. 

We breathed.

“Well now,” Wren said, leaning back into his seat with his arms behind his head. His hair was twice as curly from the drying chlorine and wet marks dotted his shirt. “Look at little Joon, all grown up and almost getting arrested. I’m so proud.” He wiped away his nonexistent tears.

“It was your idea so it would technically be your fault if we got caught.” I retorted.

“You were the one who almost ran over a police officer.”

“Fair.”

We sat in silence a moment and I realized then that I was still driving, drifting farther and farther from the town. Wren seemed to realize this too and he turned to me, concerned.

“Hey, Joon, do you want to turn back? You don’t have to keep going if you don’t want to, we’re getting pretty far out.”

“No,” I said, surprised at the confidence in my own voice. “I want to keep going.”

“But you said your parents would get mad if you were out too late.”

“I don’t care. I want to keep running for as long as I can.” Words that I meant, words that were unfamiliar that suddenly felt right on my tongue. “With you.”

Wren smiled in the half-light, in the starlight. He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair, smiling softly before turning to the road and letting out a shout of excitement and joy. 

“Alright, alright! Then let’s go!” He looked up into the stars. “I have a world to show you, Joon.”

I smiled and the stars glowed into my chest that no longer felt hollow.

“Then let’s see it. Let’s go together.”

The stars smiled down on us as they resounded with the hum of the car in the empty desert.


End file.
